1. Field of Invention
This present invention typically relates to wire wheel caps, distinctly to a wire wheel cap or spline adapter nut that encompasses a combined non-rotating asymmetrical art established image.
2. Prior Art
Vehicle wheels held in place by a decorative nut, commonly known as a wheel cap or spline adapter nut, are a well known fixture on vehicles such as sportscars, domestics, imports, and racing vehicles. Furthermore, wire-spoked, aluminum, and steel wheels have been supplied with the forementioned vehicles utilizing these decorative caps. In known wire wheel attachments, the wire wheel and decorative wheel cap have a direct mechanical connection to each other and consequently, the wire wheel cap rotates at the same revolution as the wire wheel.
Originally, these wheel caps, spinner nuts, simulated knock-offs, or spline adapter nuts were based on the concept of a design which consisted of a circular piece having two or three extensions attached to a central region. The purposes of the extensions are to fasten the wire wheel to a vehicle drum by hammering the extensions clockwise or counterclockwise to tighten or loosen the wheel cap from the wire wheel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,138,160 to Lohmeyer (1979) discloses the original type of wire wheel spinner having extensions (11) about the center portion to fasten the wheel to the automobile. U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,427 (1980) to Bradley shows a later version being based on the same concept except using set screws (17) to secure the spinner to the wheel.
Thereafter, inventors created several types of wheel spinner nuts to secure wire wheels to automobiles. U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,537 (1996) to Miansian comprises a hub adapter (10) which is used to fasten the wheel with the use of a spline adapter (32). The wheel spinner (50) is then attached to hub adapter (10) by hammering the extensions of spinner (50) in the direction needed to couple or decouple the adjoining parts. U.S. Pat. No. D.373,103 (1996), U.S. Pat. No. D.372,451 (1996), U.S. Pat. No. D.379,959 (1997), U.S. Pat. No. D.380,185 (1997), U.S. Pat. No. D.385,247 (1997) all to Miansian discloses various types of wheel spinners containing two or three extensions that consist of designs such as, batwings, blades, and a number of grooves configured along the front surface.
Following the concept of extensions about the central section of wheel spinners brought the idea of wheel spinners that, instead of utilizing extensions for fastening, used a decagon configuration along the peripheral surface for fastening the wire wheel to the vehicle, commonly called wheel caps. U.S. Pat. No. D443,244S (2001) to Almarez shows a hubcap containing a star shaped pattern along the outer portion used for attaching the wire wheel however, the direct coupling of the entire wheel cap to the wheel causes it to become obscured upon wheel rotation. U.S. Pat. No. D431,017 (2000) to Moore shows a wire wheel cap with a bullet design containing the decagon configuration commonly used for fastening the cap to the wheel however, It utilizes the same method of construction previously mentioned, enabling it the ability to remain distinctly observable during wire wheel rotation. U.S. Pat. No. D430,528 (2000) to Moore shows a wire wheel cap resembling his previous design, which is also fabricated from a solid piece of material causing it to become completely blurred during wheel rotation. U.S. Pat. No. D415,088 (1999) to Schardt shows another wire wheel cap design consisting of solid construction, thereby prohibiting the observability of the prominent section. U.S. Pat. No. D407,362 (1999) also to Schardt shows a bullet shaped wire wheel cap comprised of solid construction containing no method for freeing the front section from the corresponding wheel. All of the previously mentioned wire wheel caps that are in present day use fail to utilize any method for freeing the aesthetic section from the corresponding wire wheel. Due to being constructed from a solid piece of material, their aesthetic designs become unobservable once the wire wheel is in motion.
Other familiar wheel assemblies have utilized a bearing assembly to fully disengage wheel rotation from a fixed wheel cover, such as may be beneficial when that cover carries advertisement displays or other information, that in order to be readable to a spectator outside the vehicle, needs to be stationary when the vehicle is in motion. U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,958 (1973) to Marshall discloses a non-rotatable wheel cover (10) supported by an extending shaft (94) containing a bearing assembly that is attachable to any automobile wheel hub or lug nuts. U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,958 (1973) to Hsiao comprises an entire wheel cover (28) mounted to display indicia thereon while remaining non-rotatable upon wheel rotation by utilizing a stabilizing structure configured to operate in correlation with a counterweight. As stated earlier, it comprises an entire wheel cover. U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,715 (1996) to Harlen discloses a non-rotating wheel cover assembly including hardware (40) for mounting the wheel cover directly to a vehicle wheel allowing non-rotational support during rotation of the wheel however, it utilizes a disc or cover. U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,030 (1990) to Park discloses a stationary member on an automobile hub cap containing a static lateral axis (24) supported by a bearing (14) and a bushing (17) located at the center of the axis permitting continuous observability upon wheel rotation. Although it discloses a stationary member, it is situated upon a cover thereby making it useless for wire wheel applications. U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,542 (1999) to Boothe shows a theft-proof non-rotating wheel cover with replaceable ornament containing a base (4) which supports the device within a central cavity in an automotive wheel. A cover plate (10) is mounted with a bearing (3) and contains a weight (9) to restrict rotational motion during the rotation of the wheel axis, also being specifically designed as a wheel cover. And U.S. Pat. No. 6,848,751 (2005) to Yuan also discloses an emblem for continuous observability nevertheless, it exclusively contains a non-rotatable disk thereby consuming the entire radial section of the wheel, in turn, making it useless for wire wheel applications. Thus, the forementioned known wheels assemblies are fabricated to either fasten the wheel to an automobile resulting in the same revolutions per minute (RPM) as the wheel speed, or contrarily, to fully restrain rotation as the wheel rotates, exclusively using a non-rotatable disk or cover.
Despite the abundant arrangements and patterns of the aforementioned wheel caps and non-rotatable wheel covers, both suffer from multiple disadvantages:
(a) Wire wheel manufacturers construct wire wheel caps for the sole purpose of securing the wire wheel to the vehicle's hubs or drums. Although the prominent section, which is viewed by observers, contains a design; the fact that the design will become obscurred upon wheel rotation does not appear to be an important element in the manufacturing process.
(b) Newer designs of wire wheel caps are becoming more elaborate, in turn, requiring more time, cost, and the use of computer numerical controlled machines to construct molds consisting of greater detail.
(c) Administering great achievements towards creative designs on a wire wheel cap that revolves essentially all the time is dishearting or dispiriting for its creator.
(d) The fabrication method utilized to construct wire wheel caps from one piece of metallic material is genuine, but vintage. Being constructed from one piece of material restricts the wheel cap's performance to one main task, which is exclusively securing a wire wheel to an automobile.
(e) A wire wheel cap of the type in modern use can be stolen off a automobile due to the standard decagon configuration the outer circumference is comprised of and being constantly exposed without the use of any anti-theft defense mechanisms.
(f) The outer surface of the wire wheel caps that are in present use is limited to the plating method of chrome, gold, and powder-coating due to the designs that are offered, constricting the desire to expend the process of airbrushing, which depends upon a design to consist of extreme detail.
(g) The configurations that exist on the majority of wire wheel caps in use today are established solely on designs.
(h) Non-rotatable wheel covers that are in present use are designed to simulate a hub cap by concealing the unattractive appearance of factory wheels.
(i) Wheel covers that are in present use are designed to consume the entire radial portion of the wheel making it undesirable to owners of wire wheels and custom wheels.
However, as I am aware, no procedure has been utilized that takes advantage of the graceful dynamics that may occur if the wire wheel cap were to be constructed comprising two sections, permitting the aesthetic portion the ability to remain non-rotatable relative to the rotation of the corresponding wire wheel.
Objects and Advantages
Respectively, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:    a) To provide a wire wheel cap that is constructed using two adjoining sections making theft difficult by constructing the first section with counterbored holes for occupying tamper-proof screws.    b) To provide a wire wheel cap that comprises a bearing assembly admitting it the ability to remain non-rotatable relative to a corresponding wire wheel.    c) To provide a wire wheel cap that performs a graceful function that is not only optically pleasurable to the owner or observer outside the vehicle, but also rewards the creator with the gratification of knowing that the time, effort, and costs of creating the highly detailed image it exhibits will remain observable despite of wheel rotation and speed.    d) To provide a wire wheel cap with a highly detailed image capable of being chrome, gold, or powder coat plated, as well as qualifying the image for the precise process of airbrushing.    e) To provide a wire wheel cap which will show evidence of its creativeness to be novel by being comprised purely of highly detailed asymmetrical artistry, producing composed images that present the appearance natural expression.    f) To provide a wire wheel cap containing a non-rotatable front section being comprised of the highly detailed images previously mentioned, that present day wire wheel manufacturers have failed to offer.